Firearm round counter and assembly

ABSTRACT

A round counter assembly for a firearm is provided. The round counter assembly has a pin for connecting a barrel assembly to a receiver portion of the firearm, a housing connected to the pin, a sensor in the housing for detecting the firing of ammunition from the firearm by a user, and a data processor in the housing connected to the sensor for receiving and storing data related to the firearm. The data can include some or all of the following: a count of the number of rounds of the ammunition fired from the firearm, frequency of firing the firearm, time of firing, angle of firing trajectory, identity of the firearm, or identity of the user. The data can be collected wirelessly, for example via a handheld device brought into proximity with the assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/957,512, filed Aug. 23, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to firearms. More particularly, the invention relates to a round counter and round counter assembly for a firearm, such as a rifle for example.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Firearms, such as pistols, rifles, shotguns and similar weapons, are commonly used in many different safety, combat, law enforcement and recreational settings. Depending on the setting, it can be important to track the number of rounds which are fired from the weapon over a particular period of time. This information may be important for training purposes, to monitor the frequency of situations where the weapon is fired, or for assessing the maintenance schedule and lifespan of the firearm or components thereof.

There is also a need in some situations, particularly law enforcement or military situations, to be able to prove whether or not a weapon has been fired, and how many times, and ideally when. Ideally, it would be possible to determine the total number of rounds fired and when the round(s) was/were fired.

There have been several attempts to incorporate mechanisms into firearms for monitoring the number of rounds fired. These mechanisms have typically been bulky mechanical devices which are often complex and subject to frequent mechanical failure. They can also add unnecessary weight to the firearm. Furthermore, many of the known mechanisms, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,730 (Sayre) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,432 (Wright), only count the number of rounds of ammunition remaining in the magazine of the firearm at a point in time, rather than counting rounds fired.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,638 (Cox) discloses a fluidic system of counting the number of rounds fired from an artillery gun barrel. The fluidic components sense the zone charge used and the system computes the effective number of rounds fired. Each time the gun is fired, gas from the barrel passes through a check valve, a fluidic diode, into a capacitor. The collected gas in the capacitor is then fed to a fluidic oscillator via a regulator. The fluidic oscillator is the type that has an output frequency independent of the temperature. The collected pressure is a function of the zone charge used, and the duration of the oscillator output is related directly to the zone charge. Each round produces a weighted number of oscillations from the oscillator which is then counted and displayed.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,961 (Johnson) discloses a round counter and circuitry attached to a weapon for indicating the extent of its use. The indicator is an elapsed time meter comprising a capillary tube, a cathode, an anode and a mercury column interrupted by an electrolytic gap. When a round is fired, a current passes through a circuit and mercury atoms are ionized; the movement of the ions causes the electrolytic gap to migrate from the cathode to the anode. This migration is a proportional to the product of current and time and results in a quantification of round firing.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,217 (Brennan) discloses a round counter for a small arms weapon. Wear indicator surfaces intermediate to a bolt slide and a frame receiver of a pistol are provided in the weapon. As the surfaces wear away, the visual patterns of the surfaces change, indicating an approximate number of rounds fired. The problem with this design is that it can only qualitatively, rather than quantitatively, determine the amount of rounds fired. Additionally, this design does not analyze the frequency of firing.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,495 (Harthcock) discloses a firearm controlled by a microprocessor A means connected to the microprocessor provides time, date and muzzle-pointing azimuth information for each of the rounds of ammunition fired. The processor detects how many rounds remain in the magazine; it does not, however, keep a running count of the total number of rounds fired by the weapon.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,486 (Brinkley) discloses a device which monitors the recoil of the firearm to provide a count of the total number of rounds discharged through the firearm. A display on the device indicates the number of rounds fired. The device also comprises a microcontroller.

There remains a need for a practical and efficient round counter for a firearm, which requires minimal intervention from the user. It is also desirable to provide a round counter which monitors the number of rounds fired, whether for scheduled maintenance of the firearm, training purposes, evidentiary purposes, or whatever.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, embodiments of the present invention provide an improved or alternative round counter for firearms.

In a first aspect, the invention provides a round counter assembly for a firearm, embodied for example in a pin used for securing the upper receiver of the firearm (which typically supports the barrel assembly of the firearm) to the lower receiver (which is typically assembled with the stock, trigger assembly, pistol grip, etc.). A housing located on one end of the pin contains a sensor, for example an accelerometer or audio signal transducer sensor, which detects the firing of a round from the firearm by a user. A data processor in the housing is connected to the sensor for receiving and storing data related to the firearm.

The data related to the firearm can comprise a count of the number of rounds fired from the firearm. The data can or could also include frequency of firing the firearm, time of firing, angle of firing trajectory, identity of the firearm, identity of the user, and/or any other desired data.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a round counter for a firearm comprising a sensor for detecting the firing of the firearm, a microchip connected to the sensor, and a data processor on the microchip for receiving and storing data related to the firearm.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are intended to be as compact as possible, due to the limited space available. Preferably this means without fitting into the pistol grip, which would eliminate valuable space otherwise typically used for batteries or cleaning kits. Preferred embodiments also add as little weight as possible to the system.

Other aspects and features of the invention will become apparent upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention, in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a round counter assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the round counter assembly of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 shows a typical rifle with the round counter assembly of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally, the invention provides a round counter assembly for a firearm. In the preferred embodiment, the round counter assembly comprises a pin for connecting upper and lower receivers of the firearm, a housing mounted on one end of the pin, a sensor in the housing for detecting the firing of ammunition from the firearm by a user, and a data processor in the housing and connected to the sensor for receiving and storing data related to the firearm.

Although the round counter could be a stand-alone piece secured to the firearm by some other means, it is advantageous to mount it on a pin, the pin being configured to replace the standard take-down pin which connects the upper and lower receivers of the firearm.

In the exemplary embodiment described herein, the round counter is used in a rifle. However, the round counter can be used in any weapon which fires projectiles, such as a pistol, rifle, shotgun or the like.

The round counter assembly comprises a means for sensing the firing of ammunition from the firearm. This means can include a round counter comprising a sensor for detecting the firing of the firearm, a microchip connected to the sensor, and a data processor on the microchip for receiving and storing data related to the firearm.

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the round counter assembly of the invention. In this embodiment, the assembly 10 includes a pin 12 and a round counter housing 14 at one end of the pin. As indicated previously, the pin preferably is configured to replace the standard take-down pin of the firearm, rather than constituting an additional part (and additional weight). The housing 14 can be rectangular in shape, as illustrated, but any practical shape may be used. The housing can provide thermal, reflex and/or shock protection, and includes a cover (not specifically illustrated) to protect the contents of the housing from damage, debris and/or moisture.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the round counter assembly. A chip 20 mounted within the housing 14 has data processor circuitry 22 (illustrated schematically only). The chip 20 and circuitry 22 log the number of rounds fired with the use of a miniature audio signal transducer sensor (not shown) in the round counter assembly. The sensor can have a built-in filter to eliminate spurious data. Instead of an audio signal transducer as a sensor, the round counter could use an accelerometer.

The circuitry 22 in the round counter assembly 10 can be powered by a battery (not shown), such as a watch battery or equivalent.

The sensor can have a count rate of 300 to 1500 rpm. The bullet exit impulse is about 2 ms or better, the buffering impulse is about 30 ms or better, and the counter recoil impulse is about 45 ms or better.

In one embodiment, the sensor has a maximum counting rate of about 12,000 rpm. The sensor can have a timestamp which can be programmable, The timestamp can be in ASCII or binary format. The timestamp can have a resolution maximum in the millisecond range and a minimum resolution in the year range. The maximum number of counts between resets with a time stamp is about 2,000,000; the maximum number of counts between resets without a time stamp is about 20,000,000,000. The sensor can have built-in non-volatile memory storage.

In addition to counting the number of rounds fired, the circuitry 22 can also log other statistics such as the time(s) the weapon was fired, the frequency of firing (shots per unit time, or time between shots), and/or the angle of trajectory of the firing. The circuitry 22 can also distinguish a live firing from a dry firing (e.g., pulling the trigger without ammunition in the firearm, banging the firearm against the ground, etc.). In the case of an accelerometer, for example, the circuitry detects impulses from the accelerometer, and the time between impulses enables the calculation of whether a live round is being fired or whether the impulses are due to some spurious event such as banging the rifle butt on the ground. In any live firing, there is a typical recoil and counter-recoil with a distinctive acceleration signature which is not present in other events, so that these other events can be ignored.

In addition, the circuitry 22 can be programmed with information, such as, for example, the maintenance schedule for the firearm, identity of the firearm, the user, location of usage (e.g., theatre of battle, etc.), country or mission.

At any time, the round counter assembly 10 and/or the chip 20 comprising the data processor circuitry 22 therein may be removed from the firearm for analysis. A scanner or round counter reader (not shown) can be used to read the circuitry 22 on the chip 20 and report the number of rounds fired, or any of the data described herein. The scanner can be portable, which can greatly facilitate the determination of rounds fired in the field or in a remote location. The scanner can be integrated with different interfaces, e.g. USB, wireless (Bluetooth, etc.), and the data can be password protected. Additional software can be used to tabulate and analyze the data obtained by the scanner from the round counter assembly chip 20.

FIG. 3 shows the location 32 of the round counter assembly of the invention as installed in a typical rifle 30. The round counter assembly can be incorporated into existing firearms. Firearms which incorporate a standard take-down pin may be retrofitted by replacing the pin with the present round counter assembly 10, without affecting or modifying the function of the weapon. The pin 12 of the round counter assembly 10 can be inserted into the rifle 30 in the same way and at the same location as previously-known take-down pins. In one embodiment, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, the round counter assembly 10 is placed at the front of the lower receiver.

The above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations may be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. 

1. A round counter assembly for a firearm comprising: a pin for connecting upper and lower receivers of the firearm; a housing mounted on one end of the pin; a sensor in the housing for detecting the firing of ammunition from the firearm by a user; and a data processor in the housing and connected to the sensor for receiving and storing data related to the firearm.
 2. The round counter assembly of claim 1 wherein the data related to the firearm comprises a count of the number of rounds of ammunition fired from the firearm.
 3. The round counter assembly of claim 2 wherein the data related to the firearm further comprises data selected from the group consisting of: frequency of firing the firearm; time of firing; angle of firing trajectory; identity of the firearm; and identity of the user.
 4. The round counter assembly of claim 1 wherein said sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.
 5. The round counter assembly of claim 2 wherein said sensor comprises an audio signal transducer.
 6. A round counter for a firearm comprising: a sensor for detecting the firing of the firearm; a microchip connected to the sensor; and a data processor on the microchip for receiving and storing data related to the firearm.
 7. The round counter of claim 6 wherein the data related to the firearm comprises a count of the number of rounds of ammunition fired from the firearm.
 8. The round counter of claim 7 wherein the data related to the firearm further comprises data selected from the group consisting of: frequency of firing the firearm; time of firing; angle of firing trajectory; identity of the firearm; and identity of the user.
 9. The round counter assembly of claim 6 wherein said sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.
 10. The round counter assembly of claim 6 wherein said sensor comprises an audio signal transducer.
 11. A method for collecting data on rounds discharged from a firearm said method comprising the steps of: programming a data processor to detect rounds fired; attaching said processor to sensor; and attaching said processor, and said sensor to said firearm.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of accessing said data wirelessly. 